International Day of Potato celebration in Brussels: harvesting diversity, feeding hope

Brussels – The FAO Liaison Office in Brussels, the Embassy of Peru in Belgium, and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union jointly organized the very first celebration of the International Day of Potato 2024 in Brussels. 

The annual observance on 30 May was championed by Peru, which submitted a proposal for adoption to the UN General Assembly based on an FAO Conference Resolution of July 2023. The Day builds on the International Year of the Potato, which was observed in 2008. 

The Brussels celebration paid tribute to the significant value of potatoes in addressing food insecurity, environmental threats to agrifood systems, and poverty. The event acknowledged the potato's value both as a commodity and as a cultural symbol. 

Opening the event, FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji welcomed the audience and stated that “Today’s event is an opportunity to shed light on the significant value of the potato – nutritional, economic, environmental, and cultural – while emphasizing the key role of small-scale family farmers and indigenous peoples’ knowledge and practices.” 

Adding to the celebration, His Excellency Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia, Ambassador of Peru to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union, emphasized the Peruvian Andean origin of the potato. He highlighted the strong bond that this crop has created between Peru and Europe, and the greater potential in potato cultivation, with many varieties still nurtured by many communities in the Andes. 

Stressing the crucial role of Belgian farmers and potato industries for the Belgian economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Self-Employed, SMEs, and Agriculture of Belgium, underlined the importance of collaboration across all actors in the potato food chain to foster innovation and sustainability. 

The event also featured video messages from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru, H.E. Javier González-Olaechea, and the Minister for Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru, H.E. Ángel Manero Campos. Their words of encouragement highlighted the global significance of this celebration. 

The event continued with a video message from FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina, who stressed the critical juncture at which global agrifood systems currently stand, necessitating an urgent re-evaluation of how we produce, process, consume, and dispose of food. He stressed that potatoes, with their global availability and ability to thrive in diverse climates, have the potential to play a pivotal role in shaping more environmentally sound, profitable, and just production systems.

Nuria Moreno, Secretary General of the European Potato Processors’ Association (EUPPA), Christophe Vermeulen, CEO of Belgapom, and Pieter Verhelst, Vice-President of Concertation Chaîne, then introduced the European and Belgian potato industry perspective as well as the Belgian agro-food supply chain initiative. 

Tine Vanhee, Partnership Manager at TRIAS, a Belgian non-governmental organization supporting farmers and entrepreneurs across the world, reported on her recent mission to Peru, where she visited projects that supports associations of women who call themselves the ”guardians of the native potatoes”.  

A pivotal part of the event was the screening of "Opening the Earth: The Potato King" – a captivating documentary about a guardian of biodiversity, who is engaged in potato cultivation in the Peruvian Andes. Connecting from Peru, Eric Ebner the movie’s Director introduced it and answered the audience’s questions after the projection. 

The documentary challenged perceptions of poverty and celebrated traditional knowledge, while also leaving the audience with a deeper appreciation for the role of potatoes in our lives, stirring emotions and reflection on the significance of this humble and yet vital crop. 

You can learn more about the potato journey and FAO’s inaugural celebration of the day here.  

A selection of photos from the celebration can be found here.